Haven't done this in a while but there is a some news to report on the injury side of things. The Devils have had some major injuries pop up over the course of this season with some minor ones in between - but it's not as bad as last season - thank goodness.
First some cleaning up:
Travis Zajac returned on Scott Niedermayer night on December 16th against the Stars. In his 5 games back - he's been getting mostly 3rd line minutes with Mattias Tedenby and David Clarkson. He played with Parise and Kovalchuk last game and nothing really happened. Suffice to say - he's playing like a player who just returned from a major injury.
Adam Larsson returned from his trip back home to Sweden over the holiday's and he feels refreshed. He spent Christmas with his family and attended his grandmothers funeral. For a young kid like him, I think this is just what he needed. His play was diminishing and he needed a mental break from his time in a new country on a new team with new players and people. He on;y missed two games and it will be nice to have the 4th overall pick back in the lineup.
More injuries and thoughts after the jump:
Henrik Tallinder - Back - Hank is still having back problems and will not play tonight. He's been out since suffering his injury before the Dallas match. He was working out and his back "seized up". Back spasms were the reason but an MRI said he has a bulging disc. He's been skating the last couple of days and today he skated with the team. I would take my time with Tallinder and not rush him. Larsson is coming back and Urbom and Taormina have shown signs of decent play. I would rather have a 100% healthy Hank back rather than one who is in and out of the line up with a nagging back injury.
Jacob Josefson - Right Shoulder - Josefson suffered his injury back in late October after sliding into the boards and breaking his clavicle. He was scheduled to have surgery and miss 4 months. Well, yesterday he was cleared to skate. It's going to be a while before he gets cleared for contact, but it's a good sign that he's already skating two months after his injury.
Andy Greene - Toe - Greene had some foot problems for a couple of weeks and after taking a shot in the foot in late November, a X-ray confirmed a broken toe. He's still in a boot for at least a week, then begin rehabilitation. Greene wasn't having the best season on a defense that has played sketchy all season. Hopefully Tallinder comes back sooner rather than later so Greene's absence is the only injury on the blue line.
Larsson is back and Tallinder is expected to return soon. I would be cautious about that bulging disc and this could jurt Tallinder in a future and he's undee contract for two more seasons. Greene and Josefson coming back in a next month or so adds some much needed depth to both the defense and forwards.
So what's the most sever injury/absence for the Devils? How has Zajac been since returning in your opinion?